Babe, We're ChChChanging
by HarverLynn
Summary: 3 years has changed these friends greatly. Lucas is homeless, Josie has disappeared, Corrine, Marshall and Vaughn are stuck in a complicated love triangle, and a peculiar girl who goes by Stella pops up in all their lives. Written through 5 POVs.
1. Chapter 1

**Babe, We're Ch-Ch-Changing**  
Ch.1

* * *

**Prologue**

Three years. It's enough time to fall in love, get married, have a baby and start the rest of your life. But realisticly speaking, all that could be done in a couple of months. I suppose it all depends how determined you are. In our case, however, three years is enough time to change, forget, and mend anything that could have been possibly broken along the way.

For these five familiar faces, three years meant all of that, and more.

After graduating the five friends who have grown as close as a band of thieves during their memorable attendance at Blake Holsey, drifted and unwittingly forgotten.

They forgot the valuable information they learned, and even the teachers that taught it to them. They forgot the classrooms, and how one in particular always faintly smelled of burning rubber and vanilla. They forgot the cafeteria, and even the food itself. They forgot the hallways, and rooms, closets and stairwells. They even forgot their dorms. But most importantly, and most unfortunately, they forgot themselves.

* * *

**Lucas:**

I learned that people who live in nice four-bedroom houses, and drive nice new cars, and can afford to eat out every other night don't win lotter jackpots. They can play all they want, but they're not going to see a cent as long as they're living comfortably.

I was watching a special on TV about the people who win those multi-million dollar lottery jackpot things, and basically, if you're not dirt poor--literally dirt poor--you don't stand a chance at winning. I mean, the people featured on the show started off with painfully depressing lives. Some guy lived in a shed, without electricity, running water, or anything to eat. The guy only had a fucking five dollar bill, and the poor soul spent it on a lottery ticket. I suppose it takes some guts to do that, because he didn't have a job, and who knew how long it would be until he came across some more green. But lucky for him, that choice turned him into a goddamed millionaire. 20 fucking million dollars. That lucky bastard!

So, I figured, I'd start living like I'm dirt poor, and see where my luck takes me.

* * *

** Marshall:**

I ran into Lucas the other day. I hadn't seen him in about a week. He hadn't changed--literally--since the last time I'd seen him. He still goes around pretending to be lower than he really is, when everyone knows he could do so much better for himself. I swear, he had been wearing the same pair of jeans I saw him in before. I could tell, because the last time we saw each other I accidentally squirted some mustard in his direction. It landed square on his lap. And I know for fact, after a few years of doing my own laundry, that mustard doesn't stain (at least not on a pair of dark jeans). Like hell it does. I ignored it though, and asked him how he was doing.

"Like shit," he answered. And I wasn't surprised. With the way he had been living his life, hell, I think I'd feel like shit too.

That was all that pretty much passed between us, and then I left to go meet up with Corrine. It's crazy how long we've managed to keep our relationship going, and not once had she ever mentioned wedding bells. I guess that's a good sign, shit, I really wouldn't know.

* * *

**Vaughn:**

I heard from Corrine a week ago about her wanting to get together and catch up. I know for a fact she and Marshall are still an item, it's been that way for about two years now, and that sucker of a Marshall hasn't popped the question yet. I don't blame him, I wouldn't be getting married this young either. And to be quite honest I don't think Corrine is feeling much for being called Mrs. Wheeler either. Mrs. Corrine Wheeler--just doesn't sound right.

And that idiot Lucas is still hung up on his "theory" about lottery jackpots, and is still going around smelling like feet and ass, wearing the same clothes, and literally eating from the trash. I remember running into his parents at the supermarket. They asked me if I could try and knock some sense into their son, and I told them that all of us tried to and that he just wouldn't cooperate.

"You sweet boy," I remember his mom saying. "I'm so glad he has friends like you,"

I smiled and then proceeded to the checkout line. I'm not one for idle chit chat. I don't think I ever was.

* * *

**Corrine:**

I met up with Vaughn at a local cafe. I was alone, and truthfully I didn't feel any guilt doing so. I hadn't seen him for a few weeks, and it was nice to finally get to talk to someone from Blake Holsey other than Marshall or the deranged lunatic Lucas had become. I'd completely given up on Josie, as neither of us had heard from her in months. I've sent her letters, emails and called her cell phone, but to no avail. Sometimes I feel like she was just a figment of my imagination.

"So how's Marshall?" he asked me. He was playing with the water bottle cap in his hands.

Conversations always seemed to start like this. "Good," I answered him with a plastic smile.

* * *

While I was struggling with ideas for Odd Couples this little idea for a new story popped into my head and I decided to share it. I hope you'll thoroughly enjoy this and find it refreshing. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Babe, We're Ch-Ch-Changing**  
Ch.2

* * *

**Marshall:**

Truthfully I hated going out, especially to the theater to watch some dumb play about love. I think last week we went to go see "Mansfield Park". It was boring as hell, but I went for Corrine's sake. I think she genuinely enjoys them. God knows how, because I fell asleep by the second act. The main character was a real looker, but of course it wasn't enough to keep me interested.

"Is that what you're wearing?" she asked me. I hated how she always sounded like she was insulting me even without trying.

I fixed my shirt cuff and stared into the dresser mirror. 'Well yeah, I'm certainly not wearing this to go hiking, am I?' I thought. "You know it," I answered her and flashed her one of my winning smiles over my shoulder. She didn't smile back though. Shit, that always meant trouble.

* * *

**Vaughn:**

She was all smiles the day I met up with her. I didn't buy it though. I could tell deep down that she was miserable like hell.

We talked mostly about Lucas, and brushed a little on the subject of Josie. Every time I asked her how she was doing she'd smile at me and tell me some crap about being happy. And then she'd change the subject.

To be quite honest though, at least she did look good. Maybe she wasn't really happy, but if you were a complete stranger who saw her walking down the street, you wouldn't know that she wasn't. I guess that's all that matters—for now.

* * *

**Lucas:**

The thing that I hate most about my new life—is everything. I hate how I'm limited to a few articles of unwashed clothing, and I hate how I'm literally always starving. I hate how there's never anything to do, and I especially hate the urge to drop everything I've created for myself and go back to the life of comfort.

I know I should be living in an apartment, sharing the rent with Marshall, going to school, getting a fucking education instead of wasting my time wandering aimlessly in smelly oversized tattered clothes waiting for my luck to come around.

Shit, I gave up college for this mess, and I'm determined to see it through.

* * *

**Corrine:**

I never understood what the big deal was, it was just a shirt. It's not like I was making him ask a store employee which brand of tampons were better than the rest. I simply wanted him to change.

And for Pete's sake, it was the same doggone shirt from last week.

"Why don't you wear that new one you bought an eternity ago that you've never opened?" I suggested.

"Why does it matter? No one's going to see it anyway once I have the jacket on," his voice was calm, and cool like it always is when he's trying to suppress his anger.

"You know, just to mix things up a little," I rummaged through the shopping bags sitting off in a lonely corner of the room and pulled out the unopened package.

"That's definitely mixing it up. They're both fucking white," he tried to keep his voice composed but I could tell his irritation was rising.

I frowned and threw the shirt on the edge of the bed.

* * *

**Lucas:**

It was around midnight when I saw the lovely, or rather troubled couple coming out of the theater. They were hand in hand, and from their smiling faces you could hardly tell they were truly unhappy inside. I know it. Everyone knows it but them.

"Lucas?" Corrine asked as they approached me on the corner where I sat on the bench waiting for nothing.

I raised my eyebrows at their fancy get up. "Good morning," I teased.

"You know the buses don't run this late Lucas," Marshall started with a smirk. One of his hands was in his pocket and the other closed around Corrine's.

I didn't answer him, and he stopped smiling to clear his throat.

I could see Corrine look at me, the same way she had always done—with pity. Ever since I started this new lifestyle she hasn't looked at me the same. "Why don't you come crash at our place tonight?" she asked.

It was the question she always asked when she had the chance, and the answer was always no.

* * *

**Marshall:**

She was always trying to get him to sleep over. I told her many times over that the guy is set on his plan, and wouldn't consider her thoughtful offers. He was homeless, and that's how he wanted to stay.

It's not like I don't care. I do. And at one point, even, Vaughn, Corrine and I were all determined to persuade Lucas that he was making a mistake. But it wasn't long until that boiled over and it was finally just Lucas standing alone in dirty jeans.

Sometimes I wonder what other idiotic theories spring up in his head. There must be more where this one came from.

I glanced over at the doorway and noticed light coming in from the next room over where Corrine was. "Are you coming to bed?" I asked.

Here voice was muffled but it sounded like, "I'll be there soon," or something close to it. I was too exhausted to get up, or ask again.

* * *

**Vaughn:**

I should've been doing my paper instead of chatting. But I couldn't get myself to end it.

She was telling me about how she and Marshall ran into Lucas and how he declined her offer for a place to sleep yet again.

I wasn't surprised and I told her not to worry about it, and proceeded to ask her how the play went. As always her answer consisted of the word "great" or "wonderful".

We chatted for a few more minutes before she said she was going to bed. And to my dismay she signed off before I could tell her I wanted to meet up with her again.


End file.
